Kieper, Wausau hold off Point in Class AAA tourney

Bulldogs pitcher gets out of ninth-inning jam for a complete-game win as Wausau remains perfect in legion tournament

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Stevens Point second baseman Nick Lemke catches a soft line drive during Thursday’s American Legion tournament game against Wausau at Athletic Park in Wausau.(Photo: Dan Young/For Stevens Point Journal Media)Buy Photo

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WAUSAU – With the game on the line and the crowd noise reaching a peak at Athletic Park on Thursday night, Wausau's Scott Kieper paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

"It got really loud, and the pressure was on. I just kept the focus on me and the catcher," Kieper said. "I just had to pound the strike zone, and I got the job done, I guess."

Kieper got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the ninth inning for a complete-game performance as Wausau edged Stevens Point 2-1 in the Class AAA Region 2 tournament at Athletic Park.

"He's a big-gamer," Wausau coach Tom Magnuson said. "He beat Plover in the (region) tournament last year, and he wants the ball. There was no way he was coming out of that game."

Wausau's Andrew Block hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, and Payton Nelson added an insurance run with a two-out single in the ninth.

Block didn't have a home run this summer coming into the tournament. Now he has hit one on consecutive nights and increased the Bulldogs' total to three for the season.

Wausau will face Plover at 4 p.m. today in a matchup of the two undefeated teams in the tournament. Stevens Point and Marshfield play in an elimination game at 1 p.m.

"Coming back from a loss like this is tough, but it shows the true character of the kids," Stevens Point coach Cam Seidl said. "I know our guys are great-character kids, and they'll come here hungry."

Kieper allowed five hits through eight innings and struck out Brady Erickson to open the ninth. The Sixers responded with four straight hits, including an RBI single by Colin Durnen.

Jake Dufresne singled to load the bases, but Kieper then struck out Nathan Olds and got Andrew Klismith to ground to short to end the game.

"When the bases were loaded and one out, I was seriously reconsidering why I didn't have someone warmed up in the pen," Magnuson said. "But I thought he deserved the chance to finish it (going into the ninth)."

Kieper retired the first 11 batters in order to open the game before Klismith got an infield single with two outs in the fourth.

Olds, who pitched six innings before Austin Reed took over, allowed five hits. The only run the Bulldogs managed off him was when Block drove the first pitch of the sixth inning down the left field line for a home run.

The Sixers had runners at second and third with two outs in the seventh, but Kieper got Reed on a called third strike to end the threat.

Point also left the bases loaded in the eighth when Aaron Nickel grounded to second.

The Sixers stranded 11 runners in the game.

"(Kieper) was in the zone and kept us off-balance," Seidl said. "We just didn't clutchup in pressure situations tonight and didn't capitalize on their mistakes."

WAUSAU – Nick Lilienthal threw a complete-game two-hitter as the Black Sox recorded their second straight shutout in the tournament.

Lilienthal finished with 109 pitches in the longest start of his prep or Legion career. He was a reliever for most of the summer and got his first start last weekend.

"My fastball was really working. Believe it or not, I only threw two curveballs all day," Lilienthal said. "It was a two-seam and four-seam (fastball) and a change-up."

Lilienthal walked five, but the Black Sox turned four double plays behind him. Plover left fielder Alex Slowey hit a home run for the second straight day — a solo shot in the sixth inning over the 360 sign in center field.

Sean Luedtke took the loss for RSW, which was eliminated from the tournament. Luedtke allowed three hits in six innings.

"I told him last night, 'We're going to need you to pitch your best game of the year if we had a chance to win.' He came out and did it," RSW coach Dave Langbehn said.